I can say with confidence that I have never learned so much as I have
in the past two months I have spent in Washington D.C., interning with
the Polish American Congress. I came here hoping to pass my time in a
manner that would garner me at the least an impressive line on my resume
and a letter of reference in the future, as well as a topic to develop
in my upcoming senior honors thesis paper. I crossed my fingers that the
experience would be an enjoyable one, for being away from home in a big,
threatening city is enough of a challenge without the displeasure of
despising one’s job. And frankly, after having recently returned from a
semester studying abroad in Spain, I thought I would not be able to top
that experience any time soon.

Lo and behold, despite the most oppressive humidity the last eight
weeks have confronted me with, I am glad to say this was the single
drawback of my stay. Honestly, I feel that I have learned more this
summer with the Polish American Congress than I have in any one class of
my college career. About to enter my senior year, and having experienced
other internships, nothing I have done has opened my eyes or expanded my
mind like the assignments and duties I have completed with the Polish
American Congress. The people I got to see in action, the events I was
able to attend, the places I visited, the things I had the chance to
hear—every second of my time has been one of learning and growing on my
part. When I arrived, I was confident that I knew exactly what I wanted
in a career and precisely where I wanted to go in life, just a bit
unsure of how to jumpstart my plans. But now, I have a long list of
ideas and possible paths I could take, and a solid idea of how I might
go about each one. And while this newfound uncertainty may seem a
challenge, I believe it to be a blessing because I have discovered that
my knowledge and skills are not one-dimensional, as I once thought, and
that my interests and motivations are many instead of a few. I have
truly discovered myself in Washington D.C., better prepared to make a
strong finish in my undergraduate studies and ready to begin my
professional journey. Above all, I am more confident in myself and what
I am capable of achieving than ever before.

In my time with the Polish American Congress, I have listened to
distinguished intellectuals speak on a variety of today’s most pressing
issues, I have had the opportunity to participate in a assortment of
unique activities, and I have had the pleasure of contributing to an
organization which serves the Polish American community with pride. I
feel that I have inherited that pride and have been accepted into a
family, and although I arrived admittedly knowing little about the PAC
and the Polish community, I was eager to learn more—and learn I did. I
am now proud to say that I see myself as a part of this community
because it is a part of me, and it always has been, whether I knew it or
not. I was encouraged to continue seeking my roots, because a solid
foundation not only helps you identify yourself, but also provides you
with strength in unsure times.

Among the many highlights of my summer, some of my favorites included
attending the “Is the EU in the Interest of the US?” conference, the
Citizen’s Flag Alliance’s Walk the Hill week, and the U.S. Global
Leadership Campaign’s Washington Day conference. I learned a lot from
the speakers at these conferences, and I feel lucky to have had the
chance to attend these events through the Polish American Congress. I
had the opportunity to hear such people as Tom Ridge, Robert Bork,
Senator Rick Santorum, several members of the British House of the Lords
and Members of the European Parliament, and many other well-known
scholars and eminent political authorities, speak in person. I learned
not only about how non-profit organizations operate, but also how
lobbying works, and how the respective branches of government interact
with outside groups. Seeing all of this in person in the capital of
democracy as been truly unique, and to have done so with an organization
which I could not be more proud to have served, has made my experience
in Washington DC genuinely outstanding.